Mine track assembly



Sept. 13, 1960 w. M. HAND MINE TRACK ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 12, 1955 INVENTOR WILLIAM M. HAND BYMWUI ATTORNEYS Sept. 13, 1960 w M HAND 2,952,411

MINE TRACK ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1955 48 INVENTOR WILLIAM M. HAND Mawgfin/lfl MM ATTORNEYS Unit This invention relates to improvements in rail assemblies and more specifically to rail assemblies constructed of short, straight rail sections for supporting mine car loaders on a generally curved path advancing into a The majority of present day underground mines consist of a tunnel or a plurality of tunnels emanating in a substantially horizontal plane from a vertical shaft. It is from these horizontal tunnels that the bulk of the actual mining operation is carried out; principally by the use of power mining equipment suitably positioned on rails for advancement into the drift.

Normally, when tunnels are advanced into the drift on a straight line, no particular problem is encountered, since, by the use of a plurality of uniquely arranged rails, a mine car loader can be moved right next to the material being loaded. The rails, which are used for permitting the loader to move into the work, consist of a standing rail and a slide rail which is laid on its side with the head resting against the web of the standing rail. Thus, when the loader has reached the point where it becomes necessary for it to move forward and where the distance cleared is insufficient to lay permanent rail from which it can work, the slide rails are pushed forward into the work and the loader operates from it. One of the principal defects in such a mining system is the difliculty encountered when the track must follow a curved path. Obviously, the slide rails cannot be used to move the loader in any direction other than straight forward. 'Heretofore, the only solution to the problem was withdrawal of the straight slide rails and digging of the timnel, partially by hand, far enough to lay permanent rail. It will be readily appreciated that hand digging and load- .ing is not only a time consuming and laborious procedure but also 'a very expensive one.

Furthermore, even after enough blasted rock was cleared away to permit the installation of permanent rail, a skilled and highly paid engineer was required to make certain that the radius of curvature was correct and that .the rails were properly bent into position.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of this invention is to pnovide a rail assembly which enables mechanized loading in mine tunnels advancing into the drift on a scurved path.

A further object is to provide a rail assembly that can be assembled into standard rail curves by untrained per- :sonnel.

A still further object is to provide a temporary rail assembly which enables simple installation of permanent rail lengths upon the removal thereof.

Another object is to provide a mine rail assembly that is -easily and cheaply manufactured and assembled in working position.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the accompanying specification and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the manner in which the rails are interconnected;

; t Figure 2is an enlarged plan view of the hinged connection shown in Figure 1;

States atent Figure 3 is a side elevation of the joint of Figure 2 with a portion of the front plate removed;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the joint of Figures 2 and 3 showing the construction and manner of assembly;

Figure 5 is a plan view diagrammatically showing the length of each straight track section to be equal to the length of the chord subtended by the arc of the curve of the inner and outer track for that portion of the curve;

Figure 6 is a top plan view showing the manner in which the rails are assembled to navigate a curve;

Figure 7 is another top plan view showing the manner in which the rails may be extended; and v Figure 8 is an end elevational view looking in the direction of arrow 8 in Figure 4, and with the hinge pin mounted in position.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows a pair of compound rails 10 and 12 laid parallel to each other to form a track upon which power mining equipment may travel; each section of the rails 10 and 12 being constructed of a standing section 14 and a sliding section 16 which is laid on one side with the head 18 thereof resting against web 20 (Figure 8) of the standing rail. Rails 14 and 16 are so placed in relation to each other that prior to the time when the two rails are joined together as by welding or the like, rail 16 may be extended from rail 14, for reasons presently apparent.

Since one of the primary purposes of the present rail structure is to permit mechanized loading of mine vehicle's along a generally curved path, the ends of the individual rail lengths are angularly cut, the degree of angle being dependent upon the amount. of curvature desired. Therefore, it is readily apparent that in order for the sections to properly mate and form a curve of the desired curvature, the ends 22 are necessarily disposed on vertical planes which are on radii of the curve. Thus, when 'it becomes necessary, or desirable, that the track follow a curved path, the workman need only select those rails having ends cut to that predetermined angle which permits proper navigation of the turn. It will be noted that the ends of the standing rail section 14 are not cut on an angle as are ends 22 of sliding rails 16. Instead, there is a small gap 24 existing between the adjacent ends Iof the standing rails, the reason for this being explained more fully later. I

The joining of several sections of rail to form a usable track often requires some means of connecting the sections together to provide stability; the means .chosen in this in stance being a hinged joint 26. Referring especially to Figures 2-4, intermeshing lugs 28 and 30, extend laterally and longitudinally outwardly from the rail sections; lugs 28 .being suitably secured to the face 32 of slide rail 34 and lugs 28 being secured to slide rail 38. Vertically disposed between each of the innermost pair of plates 23 and 30 are reinforcing members 40 and 42 which give .the joint additional strength, in .the vertical direction. Members 40 and 42, .in the present instance, are merely generally rectangular shaped pieces ,of metal which are welded into positioni Welded to the external edges of the lugs 28 .is a vertically extending plate 44 having :a leading edge 46. Similarly lug 3.0 has a vertically extending plate 48 which has a leading edge 50. By referring to Figures 2 and 3, it will readily be appreciated that the provision of edges 46 :and 50 effectively limits the amount of movement that rails 34 and 38 may take toward the origin 'of the radius of curvature. Conversely, no movement can occur in the opposite direction due to the action of hinge pin-52 which extends downwardly through holes 54 and 56 of horizontal lugs 28 and 30 respectively. 1 I

Figure 5 diagrammatically illustrates the manneri'n which the rail lengths are consecutively .sarranged 'to arcs of chords of smallercircles, as illustrated-by chords 7 A and B.

In'use, when the time arrives that it is considered advantageous, or necessary, to *follow a curved path, the proper sizes and types of compound rails 10 and 12 that are to be used to pnoduce the desired curve, are selected and positioned adjacent to 'theend of the permanent straight :rail. As previously indicated, the workman will select those rails having ends cut for the predetermined angle or radius of curvature topermit proper navigation of the turn in question. It will be understood that the size of the individual rail sections, as well as the angles at which their ends-are cut will be predetermined for .various radii of curvature, wherefore the track sectionswill be initially designed in accordance with the radius of curvature over which they are to be set, for example, as indicated in Figures and 6. After rails and 12 have been properly laid, a mine car loader, for instance, is moved forward on these rails to remove blasted rock from the tunnel end. Once the loader has worked as far forward as the compound rail will permit, an addi- ,tional tie or ties is laid and a new length of compound rail positioned in series with that previously laid thereby extending the track a little further around the curve. Obviously, the length of rail which can be used is determined by the distance which the mine car loader can clear beyond the end of the track from which it is operating. When the desired degree of curve has been introduced into the run of track and it becomes desirable to continue along a straight path, the longer lengths of track are placed on what was formally the inside run of track. ,A change in direction is accomplished by reversing the slide rail sections and changing the side of the track on compound rails 58, 60, and 62 is longer than that of compound rails 64, 66, 68. While in Figure 7, rail 70 is longer than rail 72 but rail 74 has been extended to make it longer than rail 76, thereby reversing the direction of curvature.

Although the slide rails may be laid on either side of a track to give the desired curve, it is obvious that no such inversion can take place with the standing sections. Therefore, to facilitate the positioning of the rail sections, the length of the standing rails is made slightly shorter than that of the corresponding sliding rails to insure that a small gap 24 is present between the adjoining ends.

Little difliculty is encountered in using this method to lay track around a standard radius curve. However, when due to the particular direction which a vein of sought material may take, it becomes necessary that the track follow an irregular path, ends of the last pair of compound rails do not always terminate in the same plane. That is, the ends of both rails cannot be placed on a single tie. By using the 'present compound rail, this objection is easily overcome by simply extending the slide rails forwardly until the end of the slide rail lies in the same plane as the end of the compound rail and then welding the slide rail to the standing rail to increase the stability. The ability to be thus extended is of great value in that it permits somewhat greater uniformity in the spacing of the ties, a fact which is also important when the compound rail is removed and permanent rail substituted therefor. The application of this device is illustrated by rail lengths 74 and 76 of Figure 7, where the slide rail of compound rail section 74 has After the length of compound rail laid is equal to or slightly greater than the length necessary for the installation of permanent rail, the compound rail is removed, leaving the spikes in place. The permanent rail is then easily bent into position using spikes 80 as guide means. The spikes, which are positioned on the ties adjacent the ends of the compound rails (Figures 6 and 7), are effectively on'the circumference of the curve, thus assuring that the permanent rail will be formed into a perfect curve when positioned adjacent spikes 80.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention a structure in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, together'with many practical advantages, are successfully achieved. It is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings .is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. i i

I claim: v

1. A track arrangement including a curved portion defined by a first pair of inner and outer parallel rail sections, said inner section being separate and independent from said outer section, each of said rail sections including a straight sliding rail section and a straight standing rail section, each of said straight rail sections being disposed in upright position, each of said sliding rail sections being disposed on its side and having a head engaged 'to the corresponding standing rail section wherefore each of said sliding rail sections extends laterally from its corresponding standing rail section, each of said sliding rail sections being defined by a horizontal portion terminating in end faces, the inner section being of smaller length than the outer section, the end faces of said outer section lying in vertical planes intersecting in a vertical line spaced in the same direction from both of said sections and passing through the center of curvature of a circular are drawn between the ends of said outer section, and the end faces of said inner section lying in the same vertical planes as the end faces of said outer section, a second pair of inner and outer parallel rail sections substantially identical to said first pair, and means for hingedly connecting together both of the outer sections and both of the inner sections so that the adjacent end faces thereof are coextensively engaged to each other. 7

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said hingedly connecting means includes: a first hinge engaged tosaid inner sections adjacent their engaged end faces; and a second hinge engaged to said outer sections adjacent their engaged end faces; said hinges defining vertical pivotal axes and said sections being individually swingable about said axes to separate said engaged end faces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 178,652 Martinez June 13, 1876 877,779 Keane Jan. 28, 1908 1,068,312 Burke July22, 1913 1,076,044 Kintner Oct. 21, 1913 1,085,649 7 Webber Feb. 3, 1914 1,093,787 Kuhn et al Apr, 21, 1914 1,106,863 Cooper Aug. 11, 1914 1,177,657 Slick Apr. 4, 1916 1,208,178 McCabe Dec. 12, 1916 1,479,131 Fowler Jan. 11, 1924 1,486,700 Tompkins Mar. 11, 1924 1,560,714 Newdick Nov. 10, 1925 2,622,403 Budd Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,279 Sweden July 31, 1909 OTHER REFERENCES Notes on Track (Camp), published by author at 'Auburn Park, Chicago, 1903, page relied on.

PY available in Div. 34.) 

